[ ClassicalX ] Soprano's plea for poppy sellers

Soprano Hayley Westenra has voiced a plea to recruit a 'new generation' of remembrance poppy sellers.

She joined trainee Army officers at London's Leadenhall Market to encourage volunteers, especially youngsters, to come forward.

The Royal British Legion said an extra 1,000 volunteers were needed in the capital alone to meet growing demand.

About 300,000 volunteers helped raise a record £31m last year for members of the Armed Forces and their families.

War zone

New Zealand singing star Hayley, 22, said: "We're really hopeful that this year more young people will get involved and will volunteer to go out on the streets and sell poppies.

"I think people forget that the Royal British Legion are not only serving ex-servicemen and women but, very importantly, they are also supporting in-servicemen and women.

"These people are my age - they are in their 20s - and I think they really need their peers' support."

Hayley flew out to Basra in Iraq to sing to soldiers at last year's appeal launch - the first from an active war zone.

This year's appeal will be officially launched next month.

Source: BBC